Spirits' Will
by dorkish
Summary: "Mako was to give his own report about the prisoner A. tonight. Fully prepared, he, however, felt slightly discouraged at the lack of progress in this particular mission." EqualistMako. Makorra.
1. Prologue

**SSCC27 from YouTube was one of the reasons I started writing this story, therefore, here goes the dedication. THANKS!**

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**Dear potential readers, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this writing, before I continue. Reviews are essential. I won't be able to write further unless I get some opinions. Do you like the idea, does it seem interesting enough?  
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**_Prologue_**

"… Wake up".

She blinked, opened her eyes hesitantly and was immediately brought back to the reality. Ugly and unforgiving reality. The only source of light was flickering somewhere above her head, and Korra looked up and enhaled sharply. _Bars_. So, she was trapped and held in a metal.._what was it, a cabin?_.. Right, she was held in some kind of a metal cabin with bars. Like a wild animal. Good thing they feared her that much..

She tried to stand up and was suddenly fully aware of every souring muscle in her body. Growling with pain, she managed to grip the bars and lift herself up. Nothing recognizable about the ceiling she was now looking at. Judging by the amount of metal, it was probably the underground base or even some barn far away in the mountains (_crap, Republic City might not even be the option now_). There was no earth or water to bend, Korra admitted with a sigh, _but what about fire?_.

Nope, no fire either. She didn't even feel her hands properly, and the flow of the chakra in her body.. Well, it seemed to be turned off.

Korra couldn't believe she was beaten so easily. She remembered how she lost the ability to bend after the series of quick punches from her opponent's side, and how useless she became afterwards. _Who was she dealing with, anyway?_ Tenzin was going to talk to her about something important later that evening, maybe that was it? She could only wish she paid more attention to his words instead of running away like a lovestruck stupid…

_Wait a minute!_

How could she forget about Mako! Korra lost her grip on the bars and almost smacked herself on the head. He was with her when they were attacked, involved in a combat with another assaultant. Not that he wasn't able to defend himself.. and yet she remembered seeing his unmoving figure on the ground, right before she fainted. _Oh Agni._

Capturing the Avatar was definitely the purpose of that attack, and what would that make the non-bender at her side? Right, one curious disadvantage.. Korra felt the stinging in her eyes and shut them in an attempt to hold back tears. _Mako can't be dead. He can't.._ They are holding him somewhere, probably, torturing – he was a close person to the Avatar, after all. This thought was somehow comforting, though, just the image of Mako being electrified sent cold shivers through her spine.

"Come on".

The same voice that roused her. Cold and emotionless. But that's what you need to be if you're attacking people in order to keep them in metal cabins.

"Eat". What, no torturing yet? Korra was almost sure she shrieked at the memory of her muscles twisting in an overwhelming pain. Has she been electrified? It would seem so..

She looked up and found a bowl balancing between the bars. Catching a glimpse of a gloved hand, Korra suddenly felt a wave of anger raising in her. She wasn't going to burst out just yet, she needed to think it over carefully..

Then she heard the steps, followed by a creak of wood (_**wooden floor**?. unlikely.. **stairs**?. most probably_) and a low _cling_ of metal.

"I'm sorry.. Korra".

No. **NO.**

How come she didn't recognize his voice instantly? It was carved in her heart, just like that smile of his and his fiery, lovely eyes. Later she would think about how it all started and how she could have been so reckless. _Stupid, stupid Avatar.._

Now she was just breaking down, unable to fight away a fist-clenching pain that struck her. It was far worse than electrifying. Somewhere behind her the metal door was closed and the Avatar was left alone.

"Wait! You bastard!" – she cried in rage and despair, over and over again, until the strength left her and she was falling to the metal floor…


	2. Brothers

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews, I didn't expect so many! THANK YOU! Hopefully, I'll answer all the questions in the following chapters, one by one. This story is going to be built up slowly, in order for me to reveal the characters' motives properly and thoughtfully. Makorra will happen eventually, of course, but no sooner than Mako will sort out himself.  
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**Two warnings, people. I don't really like very long chapters. Also, English isn't my first language, but I do enjoy it with all my heart, so hopefully this attempt in multi-chapter story will turn out to be, at least, decent.  
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**Please, review!  
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First time Bolin turned on the radio was nothing but ordinary. Catching up with the latest news in Republic City was very Bolin-_ish_ after all. He was anxious to find something thrilling outside their usual routine and Mako respected that, although, he didn't quite understand. Probably, because all these years he was trying to make his brother's life as calm and carefree as possible, probably, because _his _own life was anything but ordinary. Figures.

Keeping secrets from Bolin became essential in a way that only a loving sibling would understand. There was never a promise to look after each other, because that's how they lived their every day. There was never a word about their past.

Yet, sometimes it was all Mako could think about. **Their past.**

He would return home and Bolin would be there, head over heels about something exciting he heard on the radio. They would have dinner and Mako would smile slightly at his brother's enthusiasm. The outside world was still a big wonder for Bolin. Spirits, like they hadn't been living on the streets just a couple of years ago! Now, occupying one rather comfortable attic with a great view on the Yue Bay, brothers were as far from that past as possible. Now, Bolin's memory was allowed to be selective, or at least more selective than his brother's. Sometimes Mako wondered if that was just an incredibly strong optimism Bo posessed. Or was it all a game of _make believe_?

Anyway..

_**Good job, Mako.** _

But then, of course, it had to change.

"_It has been a week since Avatar Korra disappeared from the Air Temple Island. Despite the high-profile campaign and a volunteer search involving more than a hundred local people over several days, there is still no information about her whereabouts. According to Chief Beifong…"_

- Come on, Bo, why do you even bother with the radio news?

Younger brother made an impatient "shush" gesture and continued listening with grim attention on his face. Mako shrugged and turned away, continuing with the dish washing. There was nothing he could do about it, so he chose to ignore the sound of radio and focus on his thoughts instead. Of course there would be reports about the missing Avatar. It didn't disturb him, as long as everything went according to the leader's plans. As a matter of fact, Mako was to give his own report about the prisoner A. tonight. Fully prepared, he, however, felt slightly discouraged at the lack of progress in this particular mission. He had his reasons to be proud of some other achievements, mostly underground job, unseen by the authorities of the Republic City, yet valuable for their revolution. This latest mission, the most important one, however, was becoming a problem.

**Avatar refused to eat and sleep. She refused to _react_. Nothing, even electrocution, could tear a single sound from her. Struggling silently, Avatar distanced herself from the pain, as if she was in another body, watching herself being tortured. Since the day Mako revealed his identity as an equalist, she made no attempt to speak to him, locking herself in another cage, inside the metal one she was held in. It was childish, pointless, stupid and Mako hated this. She was nothing to him. He revealed himself because he was told to. The effect his revelation caused was predictable, but irritating nonetheless. Moreover, Mako had to be the one guarding her. The one to bring her food and throw away untouched bowls, to electrocute her every now and then, to tell her some of their plans, planting the seed of despair that should grow bigger with every day. To break her.**

**Amon insisted on his involvement, so Mako obeyed. Being an equalist sure taught him subordination - the one thing street kid he once was knew nothing about. But even if he wondered why he was chosen for the mission (which he did not), it wasn't important, because everything would change soon, after the Revelation. ****Spirits, Mako was anticipating this event as eagerly as any of his comrades.. Two weeks from now.. That's when Amon said it'd happen. **

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"… _Councilman Tarrlok released a statement saying that investigators had uncovered what they believed to be "genuinely new material". It could be possible that the Avatar was abducted by the mysterious anti-bending organization, "The Equalists…" _

Mako's hand froze on the plate for a split second. They weren't supposed to figure it out yet, before Amon finished all the preparations for The Revelation. Still, nothing really troublesome. For years the equalists were successfully hidden in the shadows of Republic City, known only by name and purpose. There was no reason to worry about the police, and Mako remembered Leutenant's saying: _Police would find out what we allow them to find out. _So far so true. Mako couldn't help but smirk. _  
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- Those bastards! – he heard Bolin's angry whisper.

Caught in the stillness of a thought (_why he was so surprised? Bo was a bender after all_), Mako blinked several times, before realizing he was being asked a question.

- What are they going to do with her? – Bolin repeated.

All Mako could do was to stare in his brother's eyes in disbelief. For a moment he was seriously questioning the possibility of Bolin suspecting the truth. Innocent enough, the question was somehow.. _direct_ and _demanding. _Carefully putting off a plate, Mako thought over a few things to start with, but the slightest tension disappeared when Bolin exclaimed:

- Gah, I bet she gets herself free in no time. She's the Avatar! And those guys aren't even benders! Eek.. – shutting his mouth with both hands, Bolin looked at his elder brother with horrified expression of guilt in his face.

Mako sighed. _Here we go again._ Dealing with Bolin's guilt toward the word "bender" was the most irritating thing on a daily basis. Irritating and strangely endearing. Being a non-bender was always comfortable for Mako, even when their parents were alive, even though both of them were benders. Becoming an equalist added a new bitter angle to his opinion on bending. Or has it always been there on the back of his mind after _that day_?

**Not now. Mom. Dad. **

**- Mako!  
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**Tiny hands, holding onto his pocket.  
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**- Ma-ko?  
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**_Get out of here, you're not supposed to follow me. Get out!_ He could be so rude sometimes..."Mako, please, be gentle with your little brother."  
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**His throat was burning more with every step. That smell.. **

**Little footsteps stubbornly followed him. That time Mako didn't hesitate to scare him away with a slap.  
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**Alone. Finally alone. He could hear his brother's sobs, but he didn't care. Not now, when his own eyes were as dry as the desert, when his throat was painful from all the smoke.  
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**"What have you done again? Why is your little brother crying?"  
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**He didn't care, but he would always care.  
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**- Ma..Mako..  
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**Questioning green eyes, huge and filled with tears. Was he crying all this time? How much time did _he_ spent out there?  
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**Mako was barely standing on his feet, and he almost collapsed when his tiny brother hugged him clumsily.  
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**Tired. He was so tired.  
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**- Mako, you.. cry too!  
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**He was.  
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That day..

Mako watched at his brother's tensed posture, his eyes, averted to the ground; and thought that it wasn't any easier for him. Sighing again, he grabbed another towel:

- Give me a hand with those dishes, would you?

Bolin eagerly jumped up with a big grin on his face, when Mako had thrown a towel into him and turned the radio off.


End file.
